| 1. Utah Jazz (12-2) | (-)
They suffered a setback against Golden State, their first in the west, last night but they’re still impressing. These differential stats tell the story: +11.9 rebounds, +5.4% from the field per game. Andrei Kirilenko is looking rather expendable with Millsap and Brewer on the rise. |
 | 2. Dallas Mavericks (9-4) | (↑ 7)
The Mavs are officially the league’s hottest team, extending their winning streak to nine and accounting for the better than mediocre Spurs at the SBC and Chris Paul’s streaky Hornets. Jason Terry is having problems at the line but is shooting a blistering 47% from downtown. |
 | 3. San Antonio Spurs (10-3) | (↑ 1)
2007 seems like the perfect year to add to the Spurs championship years of 1999, 2003 and 2005. It’s always been about Duncan, Parker and Ginobili and so far, they aren’t disappointing. |
 | 4. Houston Rockets (9-4) | (↑ 6)
The Rockets went 3-0 this week but did so as they went through probably the easiest three-game stretch they’ll see all season. Yao made plenty of appearances on Sportscenter (thanks to a certain Nate Robinson) but more importantly, he continues to dominate whilst TMac looks to set career highs in assists and wins. |
 | 5. Orlando Magic (10-4) | (-)
Dwight Howard had his third 20/20 of the season against a less than stellar Memphis frontcourt but went home without the W. Still, the Magic bounced back with three wins against eastern conference foes and solidified their spot atop the east. JJ Redick now has one NBA bucket attributed to his name. |
 | 6. LA Lakers (8-4) | (↑ 2)
Last November, Kobe Bryant had an unprecedented nine games with 30+, three of which were 40+ outings. He only has three 30+ games under his belt this time round but the Lakers have already won three more games than they did for the same month last year. |
 | 7. Denver Nuggets (7-4) | (↑ 8)
Melo has topped thirty in eight of his last nine and the Nuggets are 6-2 when he does. Put it this way, the Nuggets havn’t lost when Melo shoots over 50% from the field. JR Smith has come into his own too; with 31 and 36 point efforts this week.
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 | 8. Detroit Pistons (9-5) | (↑ 5)
The Pistons aren’t the same dominating force they were last season but they’re on the rise again. They’re still a cohesive bunch which shows in the TO stats; everybody under 2.0 per. Their schedule doesn’t get tough until they visit Dallas in five games time so look for their streak to extend into next week. |
 | 9. Cleveland Cavaliers (9-5) | (↓ 2)
LeBron put up 30, 10, 8 and 30, 7, 5 with a combined 5 turnovers in two losses at Toronto and Indiana. Funnily enough, the Cavs won both times when LeBron was only the second best player wearing a Cavs uniform on the night. |
 | 10. Sacramento Kings (7-5) | (↑ 2)
When was the last time a true guard shooting mostly jumpshots averaged 25 a night on 55% from the field? Wait, it gets better. Kevin Martin is hitting 2 threes a night at a 49% clip and 91.1% from the line. Throw in 5 boards, 2 dimes and 1.6 steals and you have yourself a should-be All-Star. Oh, and he’s only 23 years old. |
 | 11. Golden State Warriors (8-6) | (↓ 9)
The Warriors had a fast-paced but tough week, putting up 110, 112 and 129 points in three losses. They then toughed it out without Baron Davis against none other than the Utah Jazz; holding them to 32.5% from the field and outrebounding them. Andris Biedrins has the makings of a future defensive player of the year. |
 | 12. New Orleans Hornets (8-6) | (↓ 9)
The Hornets are good at stringing games together whether they are of the W or L type. Their latest pattern had them with four Ws followed by three Ls which was exactly the same as their start to the season. |
 | 13. LA Clippers (6-5) (↓ 7)
The Clips found themselves winless this week and every game, Shaun Livingston looks less and less like Magic Johnson. You can count the number of times the Peoria product has shot over 40% from the field with one hand. |
 | 14. Minnesota Timberwolves (6-6) | (↑ 13)
Randy Foye hasn’t played like a ROY candidate but he might have had the signature performance everybody was waiting for. Foye had 15 on five of six from the field in only 17 and a half minutes of action against Garnett’s old buddy, Sam Cassell. |
 | 15. Phoenix Suns (6-6) (↑ 8)
The Suns had a perfect week, rejoining their Pacific buddies in the 0.500 club which gives the division more teams above or at 0.500 than in the whole eastern conference combined. Steve, Shawn and Amare don't want to get left behind. |
 | 16. Indiana Pacers (7-6) | (↓ 2)
Jamaal Tinsley has it going, putting up 17, 5, 7 the last five games but Al Harrington and Danny Granger have been much less impressive over the same stretch. The Pacers are helping keep Central respectable. |
 | 17. Portland Trailblazers (6-8) | (↓ 1)
Jarrett Jack and LaMarcus Aldridge continue to impress but ringleader Zach Randolph has been most remarkable, scoring under 20 only once this month. For the team’s sake, hopefully nobody will tell him it’s not a contract year. |
 | 18. Seattle Supersonics (6-8) | (↑ 8)
This makes it fourteen of the league’s fifteen western conference teams in the first eighteen of this week’s rankings. Rashard Lewis is having a career year, converting all of his shots at a higher rate and being more aggressive on the boards. |
 | 19. Atlanta Hawks (5-6) | (↑ 2)
Josh Smith isn’t hitting many of his shots but he’s doing his best Andrei Kirilenko impersonation averaging 7.6 boards, 1.4 steals and 2.1 blocks. Shelden Williams gives the Hawks 24 minutes of toughness, rebounding and more offense than expected. Those 24 minutes should be 30 sooner rather than later. |
 | 20. New Jersey Nets (5-7) | (↓ 9)
The Nets are one of six teams above 0.400 in the east and the only one in the Atlantic. David Stern should consider integrating the division into the NBDL’s eastern conference which would give the D-League a truer representation of the word eastern (check out the locations of the D-teams).
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 | 21. Philadelphia 76ers (5-8) | (↓ 1)
After starting the week getting a wisdom tooth removed, Allen Iverson showed no ill-effects of having one less tooth, pouring 46 points and 10 assists on the hapless Chicago Bulls. Special shout out to the other AI who had his second ever triple double with 18, 16 and 10. |
 | 22. Boston Celtics (5-8) | (↓ 5)
Sebastian Telfair and Ryan Gomes are the most impressive amongst the young Celtics but without Paul Pierce, Boston would be lucky to have a single win. Hey Doc, please play Rajon Rondo more. |
 | 23. Miami Heat (5-8) | (↓ 4)
Dwyane Wade may still be the best player on the planet (or at least in Florida) but the Heat are only the third best basketball team in their state. Miami is the league’s worst team statistically with a -8.6 points per game differential and are only positive in turnovers and blocks. |
 | 24. Memphis Grizzlies (3-10) | (↑ 6)
Hakim Warrick and Rudy Gay can’t compete with the behemoths out west but they are more than formidable in the east. The Grizzlies are 3-3 against eastern opponents but are 0-7 against their own conference foes. |
 | 25. Chicago Bulls (4-9) | (-)
The Bulls are establishing a new kind of rivalry with the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat. It’s cliché but few teams can match Chicago’s talent on paper and the number of lottery picks…and so on. |
 | 26. New York Knicks (5-10) | (↓ 4)
David Lee is now unofficially the Knicks’ best player and is the kind of hustling glue guy that championship teams need. The so-called energy lineup of Nate Robinson, Renaldo Balkman and Lee are a true franchise player from a championship. Maybe Jim Paxson will take Eddy Curry back in exchange for the right not to swap first rounders. |
 | 27. Milwaukee Bucks (4-9) | (↑ 1)
Michael Redd is elevating his status to elite scorer but the Bucks can’t grab a rebound to save their lives. Trading TJ Ford for Charlie Villanueva isn’t looking like the heist that many made it out to be. |
 | 28. Toronto Raptors (3-9) | (↑ 1)
The Raptors spent their week ending streaks; Chris Bosh outdueled fellow 2003er LeBron James whilst fellow Texan TJ Ford continues to establish himself as one of the league’s better PGs in ending a six game slide. MoPete’s iron man run of 371 consecutive games also ended this week. |
 | 29. Charlotte Bobcats (3-10) | (↓ 5)
Emeka Okafor would be defensive player of the year if it weren’t for the 3-10 mark next to his name but at least it’s good to know Adam Morrison hasn't grown a Brian Skinner/Melvin Ely-esque goatee (yet). |
 | 30. Washington Wizards (4-9) | (↓ 12)
In his worse game since probably forever, Agent Zero went 0 from 3 from the charity stripe, 1 from 12 from the field along with 4 TOs against the Grizzlies. Six assists gave him a total efficiency of -8 in 32 minutes of action. For the glass half-full people out there, it is a known fact that superheroes always bounce back. |
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